A Colorful, Playful Home With Lots of Ikea Finds
Photos by Leela Cyd.
Tina Tuason and her husband, Jeffrey, have always had a playful sense of style. “We love graphic artwork and toys,” she says. Three years ago, they bought Jeffrey’s childhood home, in Lakewood, California, from his parents — and got to work designing the colorful home of their dreams. Here, Tina gives us a tour…
LIVING ROOM
Sofa: Hay. Throw pillow: Verloop, similar. Rug: Ikea. Coffee table: Ikea. Lounge chair: Valyou. Blanket on chair: Slowdown Studio, similar. Rocker: Downtown Modernism, similar. Side table: Heller. Red stool: MoMA Design Store. Table lamp: MoMA Design Store.
On a multicolor sofa: This couch comes in a few color combinations. I’d planned on getting the beige one, because I figured a neutral couch would be easier to play around with — but it was sold out. My husband who suggested the blue and green, and I was like, ‘Don’t you think it’s too much?’ But when we brought it home, I fell in love.
TV stand: Pedestal. Floor shelves: Ikea, similar. Lamp: MoMa Design Store.
On an informal formal living room: We actually have two living rooms, and this is the one we use when friends and family come over. This room is the first thing you see when you walk in the house, so I wanted it to have a welcoming, relaxing vibe.
On a moveable TV: Our rolling TV stand is a game-changer. When my nephews come over, we can make a special spot for them to watch TV. If we want it out of the way, we just roll it into the garage!
Mirror: Ikea (“I painted it blue”). Console table: Ikea. Lamp: Ikea. Candleholder: Ikea. Candles: Hay, similar. Calendar: Karst Goods, similar.
On hiding the shoes: Our entryway was the trickiest spot. I needed a place to keep my shoes, but I wanted this space to feel more inviting than a storage area. I finally found this console table from Ikea — which isn’t actually meant to be a shoe cabinet, but it works!
OFFICE
Desk chair: Ikea, similar. Print: Tate Modern Museum. Wall organizer: Aescraft. Lamp: Buddy.
On division of labor: My husband and I renovated the house together, with me doing all the design work and him doing the labor. He’s handy and I’m a neat freak. So, as he was working, I’d be cleaning up along the way, and we didn’t have to deal with piles of trash at the end. We’re a good combo!
Bench: Heller. Throw pillow: Verloop, similar. Golf set: Amazon. Stool: Aescraft. Framed print: Tate Modern Museum.
On work and play: Oh my gosh, the golf game. Jeffrey works from home two days a week, and he’s a golfer, so when he takes breaks he likes to stand up and putt. At first I thought it looked too cluttered, but then I was like, you know what? Just leave it!
Bookshelf: Ikea. Sconce: Poplight. Smiley vases: Ikea. Cabinets: Ikea. Green vase: Aescraft.
On making a new home out of an old one: This is the first house Jeffrey lived in as a little boy. They moved out when he was seven; then his parents rented it out until we bought it in 2022. They’re old-school, and they had a lot of questions when we first started working on it. Why are you changing this? Why are you doing that? But when it was all done, they walked in and went, ‘Oh, wow, this is cool.’
KITCHEN
Bar stools: vintage, similar. Fruit plate: Gustaf Westman. Pink lamp: Oblique Method. Yellow lamp: Aleo. Countertop shelf: MoMA Design Store. Mug set: Heller.
On balance: The key to decorating with color, I find, is to start with a neutral backdrop. If I want to decorate with, say, multicolored mugs, then I know the shelf they sit on has to be neutral. We gave our whole kitchen a white and beige palette, which made it easy to add bright decor.
On loving IKEA: We wanted a simple look for the kitchen — plain flat cabinets without handles. But it was hard to find that style, and everything we did find was way too expensive. The only thing we could think of was IKEA — and it turned out to be perfect! Yes, it meant lots of assembling, but it was worth it.
Scallion plug-in light: Soft Surprise.
On toys: Folks might look at our house and assume that kids live here — I get it! When we first invited our relatives over, I worried about what our grandmas and aunties would think of the place. Will they like it? Or will they think it’s just a silly toy house? But you know what? They loved it.
DINING ROOM
Hanging light fixture: Ikea. Table: Castlery. Chairs: Castlery, similar. Mirror: Urban Outfitters. Vase: &Klevering.
On strategic mirrors: For the dining area, I thought a big mirror would help open up the room. But I also wanted a mirror that didn’t look like a mirror — something a little different, you know? I actually found this one while browsing Urban Outfitters. It was much smaller than what I’d planned for, but it worked. It gives the whole room sunset vibes.
DEN
Sofa: Ikea. Coffee table: Ikea. Stool: Target. Console: Homary, similar.
On a space to flop: This ‘downstairs’ room is the hang-out zone. When it’s just the two of us, this is where we spend most of our time. The couch is big and cozy, and great to curl up on for movie nights or football games.
Calendar: Tate Modern Museum. Purple cat: Donkey. Stool: Arnold Circus. Pepper plug-in light: Soft Surprise.
On a fun hobby: We have an entire drawer devoted to card games, and we play chess together a lot. When friends come over, we play Monopoly Deal or Bananagrams or Rummikub — that’s a really fun one.
On glowy rooms: I love small portable lamps. We never use our overhead lights, except in the kitchen. With every other room, we just go around turning on every single little lamp.
Green stool: World Market. Tabletop lamp: Hay. Print: LACMA.
On a daunting wall: It took us forever to put up art. This wall was particularly overwhelming because it was so big. Finally we realized, oh, a big wall needs a big print. We found this one at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and we loved it. Once we put that piece up, we were able to build around it with other things.
BEDROOM
Bed: Ikea. Linens: Bed Threads.
On turning down the volume: Our bedroom is not like the rest of the house — and that was a deliberate choice. I wanted our room to feel calm, since it’s a place for rest. The colors are muted, which makes it easier to unwind.
BACKYARD
Sofa: Heller. Chair: Heller. Stools: Heller.
On fun functionality: I love Heller furniture, and we have some in the house. The outdoor set helps create a nice flow from inside to outside. Plus, it’s easy — we didn’t want anything we’d have to cover up or reassemble every time we used it. It looks like a big LEGO set.
On finding your true colors: I’m a makeup artist, so I’m always working with color and thinking about color theory. My playful side has always been there, but moving here — into our own place — that’s what really brought it out in me.
Thank you so much, Tina!
P.S. More house tours, including a Minneapolis home with the cutest dog and a farmhouse built for Black joy.
(Photos by Leela Cyd.)
Tags: house tours
Comments
87 commentsLove love love this house tour! What a cheerful space. Super inspired, thank you
What a joyful story and space! You can really feel the love, history, and playfulness woven into every corner of the home. Turning a childhood house into such a colorful, personality-filled space is incredibly special and clearly a true labor of love.
What a great house tour! Thank you for sharing this uplifting space. I bought my whole bedroom set at IKEA about 14 years ago and everything is still in fantastic shape. Its aesthetic works well in a smaller space like ours (We got a king size bed and it does not feel crowded) and it was all very affordable.
That sunken den with bar. Love.
I’ve been wondering about the blue height adjustable table at the end of the sofa in the hang-out room? Just below the 3 steps up to the dining table… I’d be grateful for the source / manufacturer even if vintage….
Hi Therheeds! I know, isn’t it cool? It’s the Float Micro desk from Humanscale. Height adjustable! https://www.humanscale.com/products/standing-desks/float-micro
Amazing Thank you
Pinning every photo!
This may be one of my favorite house tours. So colorful! So cozy! I’m inspired to dig into color and pattern more and am making a beeline to the sunset mirror and the scallion plug-in light
I love all the color in this house! If anyone’s looking for colorful throw pillows, check out Tokens Label. It’s all designed and made by a mom in LA: https://www.tokenslabel.com/.
Lovely! Which IKEA cabinet fronts did you use in your kitchen?
Hi Kimberly! I’m checking with Tina, but I believe it’s the Sektion series. :)
Thank you!! Yes, it’s the ikea section in cream & beige. :)
Tina, your house is so fun! We too are not overhead light people. Putting our tabletop lights on WiFi-connected timers was a game changer for me. I never have to walk into a dark room, and it’s so much less work to turn them all on and off. An unexpected bonus: if we have guests over they know it’s time to go home at 10pm when all the lights start to turn off!
Thank you!! Yes, I love that! It definitely helps!
Hahaha I too have unwittingly sent people home with automated lights! Oops, but no regrets.
I LOVE THIS. I love all the home tours on CoJ but this might be the first where I’m like ah, my home style! Primary colors + jewel-tone green are neutrals, I swear.
Yes, love this too! My only quibble is why does the URL say “colorful-house-tour-northern-california” when Lakewood is in SoCal (close to Compton and Long Beach, etc.)??
This was my mistake!
Beautifully curated and SO refreshing to see an actual livable space but with personality choices instead of factory neutrals. LOVE it all, it’s done so well.
It’s all the little ghibli touches that I most enjoyed… young at heart!
Same! :)
Yes!! It’s the best!! Thank you!!
love this one! so well done. colorful and fun but still sophisticated
Hey, this was a fun house tour on a chilly, grey mid-Atlantic morning. The Poplight link goes to a set of IKEA candlesticks: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/silverpaeron-candlestick-for-2-candles-silver-color-40574987/
Fixed! Thanks for the heads-up!
What a beautiful, comfortable looking home. Love it.
So much I loved in this one. And what is great about the tours is to see there are so many ways to have a beautiful house. Makes it feel more attainable. Anyone else afraid to buy rechargeable lamps because they already can’t keep everything charged? Hate cords but can’t add to the mental load. No? :)
Omg yes.
100%. Also anything with a rechargeable battery, the battery life degrades over time… so ultimately all this rechargeable stuff isn’t going to last.
One of my favorite house tours! So playful and calm at once
What a delight to tour your home! Your kitchen? So cool – those tiles were perfection. That Tate Museum calendar – stunning (in my cart now)!! So much work goes into curating colour and quirk and love in the way you have. Can’t wait to see what colourful fun you will continue to create ahead.
Can we get links for her blouse and pants?? They’re dreamy!
Hii!! Thank you!!! The pants are from Uniqlo and blouse is from Zara. :)
Question- is the last picture with Tina & the yellow smiley face – is that a squishy? A light? And where can I get one? Really enjoyed this house tour. I’d love to meet her in real life & get my makeup done.
yes it’s this light from MoMA! https://store.moma.org/products/mini-smiley-light
Thank you!! Yes the smiley face is a squishy light. You can get it at MoMA design store.
Love the energy of this house! I just moved into a neutral walled rental, it’s taking me a while to make it feel lived in and cheerful.
So light hearted and playful – home decor to make one smile! Yes, please, a Tina beauty uniform; so curious to see how she puts colors together in her wardrobe. Also, I’d love to know who makes that clever knife/scissor set in the kitchen.
I zoomed way in on the picture and saw that the knife block has a tag that reads “Emeril Lagasse”!
Thank you so much!! My wardrobe definitely reflects my personality and love being in whatever is comfy and stylish. The knife set was a gift and I believe it is Emeril Lagasse.
Tina! I loved learning more about your stylish, whimsical choices. Loved being able to photograph and showcase a very cool woman doing her thing. xo leela
Leela, yes!! Would love that! :)
What a fun house!
(1) Can you get her outfit details? (2) She should do a style guide!!!!
YES! And a make-up tutorial!
Aww thank you sooo much!! My pants are from Uniqlo, blouse is from Zara and socks from Baggu. :)
What a delightful, happy home!
Anyone know where she got those cool pants? I’d love a link!
Hi!! They are from Uniqlo :)
What a delight!
I’m a maximalist, so was excited to see the title, but it looks like an ikea showroom!
I actually love that! Not sure why everyone is always ragging on IKEA. Their stuff lasts and is functional. Loved this tour!
I agree—there’s nothing wrong with ikea. But a house tour of ikea is unnecessary. Writing that a space is colourful and playful, with contrasting images of beige, plain spaces is odd—it’s like satire of women’s lifestyle blogs.
This house should be on the Gift Guide for CoJ Readers! I clicked on most of the links for gift ideas, mostly for myself and my sister. Best house tour ever.
Yes same!
same here!!
Ooh, I really love this one!
ok this house is gorgeous and fun. So no shade on the owners. But I crack up at this ‘colourful house’ trend where every surface is white and beige.
Agreed. Looking at this my eye was craving “permanent” color, not just lots of poppy accessories. Not for me :shrug:
This one wasn’t my favorite either – all the little treasures everywhere feel like clutter to me and clutter gives me hives – BUT my takeaway is the joy in building your own house, your own way and throwing the rules out the window. My house is a modern cottage with a lot of vintage, William Morris-inspired florals, a stone fireplace and books everywhere. I’m sure my modern, minimalist friends feel stifled by my grandma aesthetic, but it makes our family beyond happy to be in our cozy nest and that’s what matters most.
I just think there are different ways of doing color, and this is one of them. It’s not not colorful. They’re just layering color onto a more neutral calm background. Yes, different strokes and different expectations for everyone.
This is the first time a house tour hasn’t really resonated with me (which of course is fine! how boring if we were all the same) and your comment has made me realise I think I really do love colour on walls and curtains etc. really makes it feel cosy. Lots of fun pops of colour in this home still!
Such a fun and joyful home! And she’s a makeup artist–would love to see a beauty uniform, especially with any tips for Asian skin / faces!
Yes!! Seconding this!
Loooove this! I walk into very put together homes and feel like my colorful space must come off childish. I love this post & the reminder that we all can embrace what we love and have our homes reflect that 💕
I love it all especially the Gehry outdoor stuff but it’s off the chart $$$$$!
Maybe I am becoming too desensitized to “sticker shock,” but I was actually surprised by how not off the charts expensive the Gehry outdoor furniture is. We’ve been looking for an outdoor 4-5 seater sofa FOREVER and even the cheapest plastic pieces from Amazon are $300-500. West Elm outdoor sectionals are easily $2k.
This felt like eye candy! Wow so much inspiration and loveliness in your home! You did such a beautiful job designing it! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for featuring this joyful home so full of IKEA (and not just IKEA “hacks” with customization that doubles the cost). As a teacher with three young kids who does not use social media (and therefore FB Marketplace), my budget usually necessitates IKEA. It is so, so nice to see IKEA done beautifully!
The lack of access to FB marketplace is so real. I deleted FB back in 2011. I started noticing that Craigslist is not nearly as helpful or fruitful as it used to be and I heard all the deals are now on marketplace!!! :((( is it worth rejoining?
I have a FB account for the sole purpose of marketplace! Definitely worth it.
Paradoxically, Facebook Marketplace is the best place to get Ikea furniture! Environmentally sustainable and often it’s already assembled 😏 I know Meta is a terrible company, but it might be worth it to use FB only for Marketplace
FB will apparently not let you join ONLY the marketplace. I’ve read they will delete or deny you an account if that’s all you’re doing. lol. Amazing. So I toggle between craigslist, offer up and ebay. Offer up fills the gap.
So inspiring! I’ve been trying to inject more playfulness into my own home these days! Absolutely love the Totoro poster, I might have to hunt down a similar one for my office
I love the Totoro poster, too! My kids love Totoro and it would be a cute way to start to personalize their room to their interests. Please add a link if you find it!
I did a reverse image search and came up with this one which is super inexpensive and has free shipping. I guess it’s legit? I hope so because I bought one! https://www.themushroomnola.com/my-neighbor-totoro-shadow-poster-24-x-36.html
Another vote for a Totoro poster link!
Sarah, thanks so much for finding that link!
I adore your space! There is sunshine even on a cloudy day. You also solved my birthday gift dilemma for my 91 yr young Mom: the green onion night life will make her smile everyday! JOY!
DELIGHTFUL!!! (And I added like 5 things to my list of gift ideas!!)
This is one of my new favorites! I wish I could buy the golf game and the blue-green couch, but I think I’ll pick up the silver candlestick from IKEA!
OMG what a joyful home!!! My dream home!!! Well done!!
What a cool home! I so admire their style and the willingness to do what they like despite of what’s in style.
This home looks like the MoMA gift shop come to life (and I mean that in the best possible way!).
Totally! So rad.
What a fantastic, joyful, welcoming space!